


Unforgiving Phryne

by Fangirl_016



Category: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
Genre: Conflict Resolution, F/M, Friendship/Love, Heartbreak, Mac being awesome, Post-Season/Series 03
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-23
Updated: 2019-08-25
Packaged: 2020-09-24 17:20:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20362207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fangirl_016/pseuds/Fangirl_016
Summary: Jack does not follow Phryne to England. Does Phryne ever forgive Jack?





	1. The Hurt and Anger

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!! I have been an avid reader of this fandom. This is my first fic. My muse has surprised me with a not-so-happy-ending fic. All mistakes are of course mine. Thanks everyone.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack does not follow Phryne to England. And now, it's Phryne's turn to not oblige him.

"Miss Fisher!"

"Hello Jack!"

"I did not know you were back!"

She was crouching down besides the dead body of a dock worker. She looked back with a smile.

"Well....I am."

"I hope you had a good time in England."

"Oh. You thought so? Yes. Of course. I ensure that I have a good time always."

She stood up as the body was carried away by police personnel. She nodded at the inspector and walked back to her car.

There was no flirting. There were no hidden smiles, no subtle touches. Jack could not believe that this was the woman he had kissed four months back on the airfield. There was so much passion then. He winced as he remembered that kiss.

When she had asked him to follow her to England, he was elated. He had vowed to follow her to the end of the world. But then reason intervened. He could not do that! He was a rational man. It was ridiculous to just drop everything and run behind her. He was safe in his station, in his daily routine, in his two-roomed house, in his weekly Sunday-afternoon lunches at his parents' place. That was who he was. Detective Inspector Jack Robinson. He would be damned if he left all of that for an airily thrown challenge at the last minute! He had informed her so in his letter to her. She had not replied. He had written again to her wondering if she had received his earlier letter. She had replied then. She understood, she had said. That was a month back. He then got busy in a case and had forgotten to write the letters to her that he had composed incessantly in his heart.

Jack chided himself back to reality. His constable was asking him something.

==

Jack was invited to a party at Phryne's place the day after. The parlour was laid out with expensive liquor, delicious food and lovely music. She was on her feet throughout the evening. She had danced with every man in the room except him. Her raucous melodious laughter filled his senses. Before he could stop himself, he found himself walking to her and inviting her to dance with him.

He had practised ballroom dancing dedicatedly during the past few months and was quite proficient now. She raised her brows to silently compliment him on his dancing.

"So, this is what kept you occupied," she said.

He smiled. "Well yes. That and the station of course. Phryne...," he suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to explain to her why he had not taken up her offer. He gently pulled her out into the garden.

"Phryne, you know how busy I am. There was too much case-load on my shoulders. How could I leave everything and just go? I had explained it all to you and you had said that you understood my situation. Yet, now I see that you had not and that you are angry with me," he shook his head in desparation.

"I am not angry, Jack! I am disappointed. But never mind. I think it is better that we remain colleagues. It is best to forget everything...that had happened that morning. Yes, I think it would be far better that way. Now if you will excuse me," she said as she walked back into the house.

Jack felt as if someone had clutched his heart and had given it a dead-squeeze. He followed her inside. He tried talking to her all evening but she decidedly avoided him. She laughed, joked and smiled with everyone as if nothing was amiss. Later, when everyone had left, he approached her again.

"I am extremely tired, Jack," she yawned.

"Me too, Miss Fisher but I really need to talk to you tonight."

She sat down on one of the chairs and invited him to occupy another.

"I can see that my not following you had hurt you. I had not realised that you would be so hurt, Phryne. Believe me. I am sorry. Really. I mean it." he held her hands in his as he entreated her.

"Please Phryne, give us another chance," he said.

"I would have forgiven you Jack but there is nothing to forgive. I was impulsive and foolish. I had asked too much of you. But Jack, I really think that we are better off this way. No expectations, no promises, just friendship. And may be, this is the right thing for you and me. I shall see you tomorrow at the station," she said brightly.

He left soon after.


	2. The Deadlock

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack shares his feelings with Phryne but will she be convinced?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At the outright, let me say that I was not very happy with the sad ending of the fic. 
> 
> AStitchinTime, bonnieblue39 and Bijoux53 encouraged me to change the ending so that Jack and Phryne were reunited. Your comments really helped me to take the plunge into doing so.
> 
> Thank you, Olly Jay, for your beautiful comment. I thank all the readers here for your love and support.  
\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There was a distinct knock on the door. Soon, Jack entered into Phryne's parlour. 

"Jack?"

"We solved a case, Phryne. Have to have a drink together," his lips quirked into a tiny smile.

That smile, oh that endearing smile! How she had longed to kiss him when he had smiled that way. But that was before he let her down so splendidly. She severely reprimanded herself for thinking such thoughts. Jack was just a colleague now, a friend at the best. She was not going to raise her hopes any more. She had promised herself that. 

"Of course, come in, Jack," 

Jack was all smiles. What was he up to, wondered Phryne. Being alone with Jack was not something that would help her with her resolve to stay- as-only-colleagues with him.

After taking a sip of his drink, Jack leaned back on the chaise and invited her to sit beside him. Phryne was quite surprised by the man's forwardness. She had always been the flirt among them. Look at him now!

She sat down on a chair facing the chaise and smiled guardedly at him. 

"Phryne," he said, "You were brilliant in the case. Without your astute deductions, we would never have suspected that the girl herself was pretending to be her twin. Really, the commissioner was very impressed and has sent you his compliments."

"Flattery does not help anyone, Jack. I did what I could. You know very well that you had contributed towards the resolution of the case as well," she said. 

He smiled and looked into his drink. After a while, he asked, "So, how are you now?" 

It was a loaded question and she knew that. She shrugged her shoulders and declared, "Better than ever!"

"Phryne, I was wondering if we can...you know....talk about something else."

"Yes.." she said, not meeting his eye. 

"I really care for you, Phryne. Much more than one cares for a friend or a colleague. Do you...I mean, do you care for me?"

Her heart had given a somersault and was now beating alarmingly against her chest. She had to be tough and establish her boundaries. Jack could confess all his feelings but she knew that a romantic relationship with him was not good for her heart. Nor was it good for her sanity. She controlled herself and looked into his eyes. The steely determination of self-conservation was back in her face.

"I am so glad that you care for me. I care for you too. But, only as a colleague and a friend. I do not wish to establish any other relationship with you, Jack, as I had mentioned the other day. I think we are perfect how we are."

There was a knock on the door. Phryne jumped up from her chair enthusiastically. She had anticipated that Jack might surprise her with a visit that evening and had invited Mac beforehand. And soon enough, Dr Mac entered into the room. Jack stifled a groan. It was really getting very difficult to get Phryne alone.

With Mac in, Jack had to rein in his flirtations. They talked generally about the case and about other things. Phryne could not avoid giving him a smug glance that said, "Jack Robinson, you have been trumped." 

Jack sighed with hopelessness. For how many days would this deadlock continue? He decided that he would have to take Mac into confidence. 


	3. Mac Intervenes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mac steps in. Seriously, what would Jack and Phryne have done without Mac? Mac - the saviour!!

"You are better off without her, Robinson," warned Mac. 

Jack had shared the situation that he and Phryne were in, during their drive last night. He was very agitated and Mac had agreed to discuss the situation further, the following evening. And there they were, the very next day at Jack's place, sharing a bottle of his whiskey. 

"Don't get me wrong. She is one of my dearest friends and I trust her totally. But when it comes to matters of the heart or her parents', she can behave outrageously," she stated.

"I know," said Jack softly, "but I love her. I cannot be without her. Maybe, I am being a fool, a lovesick fool."

He shook his head in frustration.

They were silent for a while. Jack had cooked a simple dinner for them. After dinner, they sat down in his parlour to discuss any insights that Mac might have. 

"Well, I do recall that she was extremely paranoid about your relationship with an Italian widow. You could ask for her help," suggested Mac with an uplifted eyebrow.

"Oh no. Concetta is a dear but I do not wish to put her through this. Besides, she is going to get married soon. Listen," he continued, "you are Phryne's best friend. She has completely shut me off. Every time I speak to her about my feelings or my inability to visit her in England, I feel I am facing a polite and stylish wall! Really, Mac, please please just talk to her about opening up to me, please. "

Mac got up with a sigh. It was best not to indulge in any more whiskey. She had got her car that day and would have to drive back home. As a rule, she did not get involved in lovers' tiffs. But she was going to make an exception this time. She felt bad for the poor Inspector. And Phryne was a very special friend to her. 

===

Phryne was alone at home, playing her piano. Mac could see the delight in Phryne's face when Mr B announced her arrival. 

She looked at Phryne's makeup-free face. There were dark circles below her eyes, her face looked very pale. She could make out that Phryne was not sleeping well. She had probably not slept well ever since she came back from England. 

Hmm, Mac reflected. Phryne had lived an extremely hard life in her childhood. It had made her street-smart and extremely resilient but the emotional trauma of the beatings, extreme poverty and the loss of her sister had made Phryne an emotional wreck. 

"Jack is a stupid man. Don't you agree?" Mac asked.

"I don't know what you mean by that, Mac. Why would Jack be a 'stupid man'?"

"He is being stupid. Over you. I mean, you have cut him off from your life. He should accept it and move on. Right?" Mac asked innocently, after sipping into yet another glass of whiskey. 

Phryne was wistful. 

"I had trusted him with my heart. And he...he just let me down, Mac. I felt all alone. Just how I had felt when Janey had disappeared. When his first letter came in, I fell into a very dark place. I could not eat or sleep for days. Then, when I was somewhat better, the second letter came in. I somehow answered that letter and cut him off from my life. He does not deserve my love, Mac. He does not," Phryne was crying now. 

Mac hugged her and patted her back. 

"Darling, he loves you too. You stupid fools! I feel like locking you two in a room and throwing the key away! Phryne, listen to me. There is a reason why there is a phrase called 'love of your life'. I had it with Daisy. And you, Phryne, you did not have it with Rene. But you may have it with another person. Knock Knock, Wake up, Phryne! Your road to happiness and love leads to him. Trust me. He had just made an unwise decision. Forgive him. Tell him what you are going through. Don't block him out," whispered Mac.

The tears subsided gradually. 

Soon enough, Phryne had successfully interrogated Mac and got to know all about her discussions with Jack. She was finally convinced that she needed to talk openly with Jack. And if that had to happen, it had to happen right away.

Mac was happy to see that she had been able to drill some good sense into Phryne's thick skull. Really Phryne could be so bull-headed at times. Mac declared that she would be spending the night in Phryne's guest room. As soon as the room was ready, she promptly fell asleep.


	4. The Resolution / Journeys end in Lovers meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack and Phryne pour their hearts out to each other and Mr. Butler is left with three cups of tea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finished the series. Yeah! I cannot believe that this had started out as a one chapter tragedy. Thanks again for your lovely encouraging comments.

"Phryne? Mr. Butler?" Jack could have been knocked over with a feather.

"May we come in, Jack?" asked Phryne sweetly. Jack had melted at the sound of her voice and simply looked on at her. 

Was he dreaming? Jack pinched himself on the hand to make sure. 

"You are not dreaming," remarked Phryne as she quietly walked inside. 

"Good evening, Inspector," wished Mr Butler as he stood on the threshold. 

"Shall I wait for you, Miss? Or, should I directly take the car back home?"

"Just give me ten minutes, Mr. Butler. Please make yourself comfortable in Jack's parlour." 

Jack invited him in. Soon, Mr Butler was in Jack's kitchen, preparing tea for the three of them. 

"Umm, Jack, can we go somewhere? I......I need to talk to you," she said after a pause, "alone." 

"Yes, of course," said Jack as he led Phryne to his study. It was a tiny room really, little bigger than a storage loft, and Jack was pretty sure that the previous owner had used it that way. To Jack, however, his study was a sacred space. It housed a pair of leather armchairs, a study table, and his books. He indicated one of the armchairs to Phryne. As she took her seat, he sat back on his slightly worn-out chair and looked expectantly at her. 

Phryne began without any preamble. In truth, she was highly agitated and had been trying quite hard to maintain her calm.

"Mac had been to my place. I have been told that I am being bull-headed. Am I really, Jack?" she asked.

"I would not know, Miss Fisher," Jack was not taking any chances this time, "what exactly did she tell you?"

"She told me that I...that I am a stupid person to let you go. To not respond to your advances when clearly I was, that I cared for you!"

"And do you, Phryne, do you care for me? For I certainly care for you a lot, in fact, I think I love you," mumbled Jack.

"But you had abandoned me, Jack! You had rejected me when I needed you the most!" Phryne's voice was choked.

"Phryne," Jack held Phryne's hand, "Darling, I had not abandoned you. Please believe me. I just, I could not bring myself to go to Europe again. You know, for a long time after the war, every time I closed my eyes, horrible scenes would flash before my eyes, scenes that were so grotesque that I had to open my eyes immediately in order to escape from them. I had gradually learnt that my routine, my work, my duties, responsibilities, friends and family - they help me stay centred here. And I just could not let go off all these and go to England. Besides, after the financial crash, I could not bring myself to resign from my job. You had reassured me that you would be back in Melbourne. It had made so much sense to stay here and wait for you. I have misinterpreted your letters, Phryne. I never realized that you wanted me there so badly!"

He looked extremely distressed. 

Tears were streaming down Phryne's face as she looked at this now-dishevelled man. Who knew there was so much pain, so much fear in him? But, a part of her remembered, she was the hurt person here. 

She said, "You could have said that. You could have mentioned once that the reason you were not able to join me was a medical one, an emotional one. No. Instead, you had enumerated the reasons why it made no practical sense for you to follow me. How it was expensive, impulsive and how it would endanger your job! Really, Jack!!"

She continued in a hopeless monologue, "I had a very tough time in England. You know that, of course. I had talked about it in the letters that I had sent to you. Between my rogue father, my hysteric mother and the financial mess that the estate was in, I was living through hell. The only thing that kept me going was the hope that you would come to me, Jack. I dreamt daily of finding you beside me; not so that you could sweep me out of my troubles. I wanted you by my side because I loved you and knew that in my toughest times, you would stand by me and support me. But you refused. I felt like I was all alone. Just like I had felt when Janey had disappeared. I vowed then, Jack, I would not let you in my heart again. You tell me, was I wrong to do so?" 

"Phryne, darling, I am so sorry that I had let you down," Jack said, "I had made a mistake. The horrors of the war and my many fears had not let me see the promises of love, happiness and adventure that you had proposed. Could I choose again? And this time, I would choose you, Phryne," he said softly.

Phryne walked over to his chair and planted a chaste kiss on his cheek. Jack folded her in and placed a long and intense kiss on her lips. His probing tongue entered into her mouth. Not to be outdone, her tongue entered into his mouth soon after. 

By the time Mr Butler arranged tea and biscuits on the dining table, the door to Jack's bedroom closed with a bang.


End file.
